After leaving that private kitchen, Luo Ziling called Cao Jianhui and asked where they were.
When he heard Cao Jianhui say that he had just finished dinner with his parents and returned to the hotel, Luo Ziling immediately asked him to find a place to meet.
Half an hour later, Luo Ziling met Cao Jianhui’s parents in an inconspicuous teahouse.
After exchanging a few pleasantries with Luo Ziling, Cao Jianhui used the excuse of going to ask Luo Yuqing about the filming of the script and whether she could give him more scenes, and slipped away first.
Cao Jianhui was quite tactful, and Luo Ziling was also very pleased.
After being in officialdom for a long time, people develop a certain aura; it was the same with Cao Jianhui’s parents.
Whether it was his father, Cao Menggang, or his mother, Wu Lihua, the first impression they gave was one of authority.
But Luo Ziling had already met a lot of truly imposing figures, so in his eyes, the bit of aura Cao Menggang and Wu Lihua carried was nothing at all. What’s more, when the couple saw Luo Ziling, they didn’t put on any airs; instead, they looked all amiable and easygoing.
After they greeted each other, Luo Ziling went straight to the point.
"Some things aren’t easy to explain over the phone, so I had you come all the way here to talk in person," Luo Ziling explained. "Yesterday when I passed through Wu Shang, I suddenly thought of this: this small city with a very special rank makes it very easy to rack up achievements. People who come out of here, very few end up down and out."
Saying this, Luo Ziling turned his eyes to Wu Lihua. "From what I know, the person in charge here is about to be transferred, and who will come here hasn’t been decided yet. There has never been a female top leader here. If you come here, that will be making history."
After hearing that, Wu Lihua froze for a moment, not fully reacting.
She and Cao Menggang had always held posts in the North and had never lived in the South.
What she had in mind was also to keep working in the North.
The same went for Cao Menggang; he had never thought about taking a post in the South. After all, the couple had always been in Ji Province and had never left. What they hoped for was also to stay on there, with better promotion prospects, or to be transferred to Yanjing.
Luo Ziling’s proposal was something they had never considered, so they didn’t react for a moment.
Luo Ziling didn’t ask Wu Lihua to answer right away, but instead looked at Cao Menggang.
"Uncle Cao, if you were asked to take a post in Zhonghai, would you be willing to come?"
Cao Menggang reacted faster than Wu Lihua. He immediately grasped what Luo Ziling meant and nodded without hesitation. "We’d both be willing!"
After he said that, he even shot Wu Lihua a meaningful look.
Wu Lihua understood and quickly caught on.
However, she didn’t reply as straightforwardly as Cao Menggang. Instead, she said somewhat embarrassedly, "Ziling, we really never thought about such an arrangement, so we just didn’t respond in time. To be honest, after living in the North for over forty years, to suddenly come to the South, we’d definitely be not very well adapted. After all, we’ve gotten used to life in the North, and all our family property is there."
After explaining a bit in embarrassment, she went on, "But if the organization really wants the two of us to come to the South, then we will fully accept the organization’s arrangement. I also know the situation in Wu Shang. This is a small city with a highly developed market economy, ranked quite high among the country’s top hundred counties. The rank of the top leader here is half a level higher than leaders of other cities at the same level, with a pile of special privileges. If we can hold a post here, that would be an honor as well."
Cao Menggang followed up, "In our country, the southern economy has always been better than the northern one. Compared with several southern provinces, Ji Province’s economy is far behind. If we can take posts in the South, that truly would be our good fortune. Actually, for a couple like us, after staying in the North for so long, we’ve grown numb in many ways. Coming south to broaden our horizons would also be a kind of boost for us."
The reaction of the couple, Cao Menggang and Wu Lihua, also made Luo Ziling very satisfied.
They were both people worth investing effort in.
He smiled and said, "Since you’re willing, that’s a good thing. But this isn’t something I can decide, and even if my mom speaks, that doesn’t make it final either. How things will play out, I can’t predict. I just hope you can be mentally prepared so that if it really goes through, you can report to your new posts as soon as possible."
"Thank you, Ziling!" Wu Lihua quickly expressed her thanks. "We know what to expect now. When we go back, we’ll start making some preparations in this regard."
Luo Ziling didn’t say much more. After chatting idly for a bit, he got up to take his leave. As he left, he suggested that Cao Menggang and Wu Lihua take the chance, since they’d come to Hengdian, to look around nearby. Wu Shang is very close to Hengdian, so they could go over and stroll around as well.
After Luo Ziling left, Cao Menggang and Wu Lihua sat facing each other, staring wide-eyed for a while.
In the end, it was still Wu Lihua who couldn’t help asking Cao Menggang, "Old Cao, what do you think will actually come of this?"
"Since he was in such a hurry to have us come over, that shows he’s not just talking casually. If I’m not mistaken, he’s already talked this over with Ling Ruonan, and only after he got a definite reply from her did he call us here. This young man is about the same age as Jianhui, but in terms of how seasoned he is in handling matters, Jianhui can’t hold a candle to him," Cao Menggang said with a trace of emotion. "I’m guessing Ling Ruonan has already thought through how she intends to place us, so she gave him a clear answer, and only then did he have us come here."
"At such a young age, to be able to do something this big, it really boggles the mind." Wu Lihua was also full of emotion.
"A dragon begets a dragon, a phoenix begets a phoenix," Cao Menggang smiled and then let out a long sigh. "Their starting point is far higher than that of ordinary people. We’ve struggled for so many years and still can’t match where they start. He can casually speak in front of those big shots, even cross swords with them. When have we ever had that kind of chance? It’s really not that I’m looking down on ourselves—our ranks are much higher than his, but in terms of influence, he’s left us several streets behind without us even realizing it. All right, let’s not overthink it. If nothing unexpected happens, things should work out for the two of us. Coming to the South to take posts will definitely mean a much better future than continuing to stay in Ji Province. The air pollution in the North is worse than in the South as well. Coming south, we can also cleanse these polluted lungs a bit."
The joking words at the end from Cao Menggang made Wu Lihua laugh as well. "Changing the environment really is a good thing. From now on, our whole family will just follow behind that mother and son."
"Ling Ruonan’s future is also limitless!" Cao Menggang continued in a tone tinged with emotion. "What do you think about what happened with her being attacked in Jiangcheng yesterday?"
"The fact that news like that could be reported so prominently shows there’s obviously more to it than meets the eye," Wu Lihua stopped laughing and said very seriously. "Without interference and instruction from Ling Mingrui, who would dare to do that?"
"As long as you understand that," Cao Menggang chuckled. "So now, Ling Ruonan’s influence is anything but ordinary. The degree to which Ling Mingrui values her is also out of the ordinary!"
"Maybe Ling Zhengping has disappointed him," Wu Lihua said, looking somewhat pensive.